Lonesomebri wrote:I've recently been riding the bicycle into town, getting drunk at various bars, hanging out on the pier, making it home in the early a.m., sleeping out on the front porch... By August I ought to be in playa shape.

There's a Virgin for 2013 that I know. After reading this, despite being a Virgin, he figures he might be forced to register in the "pro" category.

Jar Jar Sith Lord.Odd. No bears in the dump. Oh well, lets go across the road & pick blueberries..... but don't harm the red dragon that frequents the area from time to time. He and I have an agreement.

“Two of my favorite things are sitting on my front porch smoking a pipe of sweet hemp, and playing my Hohner harmonica.” - Abraham Lincoln (from a letter written by Lincoln during his presidency to the head of the Hohner Harmonica Company in Germany)

I'm 12 days into the diet and fitness routine. Hit my three mile stride last night a few days early... and I didn't die! I need to set new goals...

I've been out on the asphalt almost everyday and have severaly cut back on my calorie intake. I'm no longer randomly shoving food in my mouth just because I want to. I was a social/light smoker (1 or 2 a day), but I haven't had a cigarette in over 2 weeks, and I've lost 4 lbs.

Just came across this great 6 part cartoon from The Oatmeal called "The terrible and wonderful reasons why I run long distances." (http://theoatmeal.com/comics) If you're a runner, check it out!

"The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."

if youre one of those folks that does a desk job and does an hour of running or 'working out' ..or riding on a bike after work.. youll find yourself standing around a hell of a lot more than normal at burning man.

I'm trying to get down to the lower end of my weight range (170 5'11) and lifting some weights and sit ups so that when I'm being introspective and meditating on the playa I won't be distracted by thoughts that I'm old and out of shape. When I'm in the throws of a mental cosmic journey, historically this can be one of my most distracting thoughts. Kind of not liking what I see in myself in that regard, and I want to nip that in the bud. Also, as someone who has recently been carded for alcohol because I look very young for my age and at the same time get literature from AARP (WTF), with some physical conditioning I can take my shirt off (pants stay on) and hang with the cool millennials and feel vicariously youthful. or not.

mulch wrote: with some physical conditioning I can take my shirt off (pants stay on) and hang with the cool millennials and feel vicariously youthful. or not.

i cant speak for ALL of the younger folks.. but according to wikipedia i am on the border betwixt being a 'generation x' and 'generation y' (or, millenials)..so maybe i can speak for some..

few things will make you un-hip faster than referring to them (us) as "the cool millennials".but thats OK, we'll be happy to be interacting with folks outside of our typical age group anyways...and that goofy disconnect will just be endearing

If you are like me, ie. middle aged and desk bound, then be careful of your back as well. I had issues in 2006 that took me out of the last 1/2 of the Burn. Stretch daily, as well as hydrating and following the directions above. Listen to your body, and not just when it farts....

I'd read that whole crunches to lose belly fat thing was a myth beyond posture improvement. Fat can't be really lost from a specific spot. Just the whole body, and then hormones and such decide its distribution.

fresh wrote:Ok pounding rebar = no fun. Hiking from Aspen to Crested Butte = fun. Wildflowers in full bloom, but not in this pic.

To see the belly sticking out over the pack waist strap tells me i need to add some crunches in there before the playa or else I'm shirtcocking.

"I will not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. I will face my fear. I will let it pass through me. Where the fear has gone, there shall be nothing. Only I will remain."

True, crunches alone don't equal great abs. Having ripped abs is a combination of 1) ab exercise and 2) plentiful cardio to peel the fat off. So, you can have abs of steel but still not be able to see them, in the same way that one may have a small waist from lots of cardio and still have little definition.

Running is the fastest way to peel fat off, provided one doesn't have joint injuries or other distinct health reasons why not. One may walk/run at first and then run more and walk less. It's not fun at first, but it works.

(Weak abs can exacerbate back problems because the back is doing a disproportionate amount of work holding you upright.)

*** 2016 Survival Guide ***"I must've lost it when I was twerking at the trash fence." -- BBadger

Savannah wrote:True, crunches alone don't equal great abs. Having ripped abs is a combination of 1) ab exercise and 2) plentiful cardio to peel the fat off. So, you can have abs of steel but still not be able to see them, in the same way that one may have a small waist from lots of cardio and still have little definition.

Running is the fastest way to peel fat off, provided one doesn't have joint injuries or other distinct health reasons why not. One may walk/run at first and then run more and walk less. It's not fun at first, but it works.

(Weak abs can exacerbate back problems because the back is doing a disproportionate amount of work holding you upright.)